By the time you are reading this, I will have been to Los Angeles and back, celebrating Christmas with our California kids. In case you are new to this column, Bing and I have five offspring scattered around the country. Although Bing died six years ago, he is still very much with us in spirit. For example: we had adopted a German Shepherd, Ivy Scarlett, after our Golden Retriever, Laddie, died. We had to jump through hoops to be approved by the German Shepherd rescue organization.

By Amanda Schmidt, WB-M Superintendent

The Iowa Department of Education released new results and features in an online school accountability reporting system called the Iowa School Performance Profiles.

The Iowa School Performance Profiles website shows:

●  Updated scores and ratings for all public schools based on how they performed on a set of accountability measures in the 2020-21 school year.

By the Rev. John Koopman, Peace Lutheran Church, West Bend

By Sue Hicks, Freelance Writer

There once was a toymaker.

But he was more than a toymaker. Call him an engineer, an architect, a designer, if you will. He created many fantastic things. He settled down to making toys, not because he couldn’t make other things, but because toys delighted him so. There were two special toys, fashioned like a boy and a girl that he designed with extra special care.

Dear Readers: The following was written by a fellow named Bob Thompson, who was a teacher and coach in my hometown of Jefferson. I have published this each Christmas for a few decades in celebration of the birth of a humble, powerful savior. It is reprinted here with permission. Merry Christmas to all. 

During the late summer, Iowa State Auditor Rob Sand issued a statement asking people to get vaccinated. He wrote, “Adults aged 18 and older who are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine but refuse it are costing the U.S. health system billions of dollars, according to a study by the non-partisan Peterson Center on Healthcare and the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF). Any hospitalization due to a serious illness is difficult for the patient and their families.

By Jacob Tjaden, City of Algona

Right before COVID-19 emerged in 2020, our city council and mayor developed a strategic plan for the City. We identified several opportunities and priorities for Algona. Now, nearly two years later, we have accomplished a great deal while we continue to work through some projects disrupted or delayed by COVID-19. 

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150 Years Ago

The Governor of Wyoming has vetoed the bill repealing Woman Suffrage. So the women of our nation owe him a debt of gratitude. He may, by the courage and wisdom thus exhibited, have made himself President of the United States. Let this movement once get rid of the stigma of Free Love, to some extent fastened upon it by the blindness of some of its New York advocates, and it is sure of speedy victory.

125 Years Ago

To the Editor:

I grew up in Algona, Class of 1954. I was so sorry to learn of your recent tornado. Algona is such a wonderful town and you are in my thoughts and prayers.

Shirley Maxwell Zulke, Freeport, Ill.

By Molly MacDonald, Contributing Columnist

Just over one-third of the hotel-motel sales tax revenue collected in Algona is designated for uses other than community attractions or tourism. Twenty percent goes into the general fund and 15 percent goes to the Algona Area Economic Development Corporation to assist with personnel costs.

By Brad Hicks, Publisher

It is hard to estimate what could happen here in the coming years, given the expected release of a movie about the Algona Nativity Scene. Were it a couple of decades ago, a film about such an occurrence would draw people from far and wide to check it out for themselves. Tourism would explode, and all of our venues would benefit. In a pandemic world filled with people who prefer virtual realities in their living rooms, it’s a tougher call.

With the holiday season upon us, giving to those we care about most is at the forefront of our thoughts. For many, this also includes giving to causes we are passionate about as nonprofits in our community need charitable support to address ever-growing local needs.

By Shane Goodman, CITYVIEW

Doing the dishes was a nightly task in my childhood home and one that my siblings and I argued over each evening. Who would clear the table? Who would wash the dishes? Rinse them? Dry them? Put them away?